Wet Cobblestones
by Iluminationoffantasy
Summary: The summer thunderstorms had given him an excuse to use his fire place, as he was always in Helen's room using hers. He missed her then, wishing she was lying next to him with her soft brown curls falling over her shoulder as she leaned her head back to laugh the laugh that made his heart stop.


Chapter 1

Three times. It happened three times before Helen got frustrated and shamefully curious.

The first time, Helen was sitting in her office going through some final paperwork before leaving to London for a conference on a new Abnormal that was recently found in France, and had similar characteristics as the Fire Elemental.

Thinking back to her time in Normandy, Helen couldn't help but remember the relationship she had had with James. Although things with James didn't turn out as they had planned, it was still a relief to know that he was there for her as a friend, a second opinion and - on some winter nights - as a lover. She tried to focus on the new Sanctuary intake before a laugh pierced through her office wall, the kind of laugh that sounded flirtatious, fake and definitely that of a lady. She ignored it and tried to continue her tedious paper work.

The second time, Helen was in the kitchen making herself a cup of tea, lost in thoughts of Ashley, missing her daughter greatly. She was reminded of something Adam had said: "Loss of a daughter, a wound that never heals.".

The laugh interrupted her as she was readying herself to go to the big guy to discuss security protocols. She was getting quite frustrated with this woman's fake flirtatious laugh; she would need to speak to Will about him bringing women, especially the loud ones, home to the Sanctuary.

The third time, Helen was in the bath sipping her wine. She had been needing this bath all day. There was something about bubbles and the smell of vanilla that made her feel secure. Bubbles, vanilla and James. Especially James. She got out of her bath, put on her lavender satin night dress and started heading towards James's quarters. She opened her heavy wooden bedroom doors and was greeted by the fake flirtatious laugh.

" _I thought she would be gone by now._ "

Helen followed the laugh, hoping her presence would make this woman leave. She headed towards Will's room, until the sounds of the laugh coming down from the opposite side of the Sanctuary proved it was not coming from Will's bedroom.

Her heart sank. The laugh could only be coming from one place… James's room. With the laugh drawing her, she walked silently towards James's room. Standing in front of James's bedroom door, Helen hesitated and knocked.

"Come in" James's voice echoed,

Helen's heart fluttered with nerves.

Chapter 2

James and Katy were lying on his floor in front of his fire place.

The summer thunderstorms had given him an excuse to use his fire place, as he was always in Helen's room using hers. He missed her then, wishing she was lying next to him with her soft brown curls falling over her shoulder as she leaned her head back to laugh the laugh that made his heart stop.

Katy was pretty, she was probably any man's dream. She was short, skinny - the type of skinny where curves were not easily seen - blonde and of course had men lined up around every corner waiting for a chance with her. James, however, was not one of them. James had eyes for one lady only: Helen.

Helen was exquisite, she had massive blue eyes, curly brown hair that hung to the middle of her back, she was tall and had all the right curves in all the right places. Men were always interested in Helen, but she never noticed. Helen was always interested in somebody else. James wished he knew who that someone was.

Helen looked at the blonde stretched out on the carpet next to James, and couldn't quite place the emotion she was feeling, somewhere between hurt and anger.

She inhaled a shaky breath, trying to not cry or be rude. She lifted her eyes from the blonde lady to meet James's gaze.

He couldn't jump up fast enough, almost kicking Katy in the process.

"Helen, what are you doing here at this hour? Is everything alright?"

"Sorry for the disturbance James, I hadn't realized you had company at this hour." Helen cringed internally at her blatant lie. James could never know how she feels about him; the embarrassment of having to hear him explain how he does not feel the same would be unbearable.

Helen would have to hide her feelings.

"We lost track of time. Helen, I would like you to meet Katy."

"Pleased to meet you. James, I wanted to remind you of our flight tomorrow morning at 7am to London for the conference concerning the new Abnormal found in France. I do hope you will get enough rest before the flight."

But James knew that wasn't the reason she came to his room so late at night wearing her satin night dress. His favourite one at that.

Helen said goodbye before going back to her room. While she was getting into her king sized, four-poster bed, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that the evening had not turned out the way she had hoped.

Chapter 3

In the car on the way to the airport, James barely spoke. He was clearly feeling guilty about something, and Helen avoided eye contact and after realizing James's mood. She turned to reading 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' by J.K Rowling. Again.

On the flight to London James slept and only woke up once the plane started to descend. She found his mood odd. There was something wrong but she knew better than to ask questions. More than a hundred years of friendship had taught her that he would tell her what was bothering him, eventually. He had always struggled to keep secrets from her.

James was feeling guilty. He was mad at himself. He wasn't afraid to express his deepest secrets to Helen, but when the secret was about her he was the most afraid. The first thing James realized on the way to the airport was that Helen was avoiding eye contact. They used to be able to look into each other's eyes until someone interrupted them. He didn't know how to speak to her, and he could still see the hurt from the previous night in her eyes. She would never know how much he enjoyed watching her read Harry Potter. She always had a smile on her face when Professor Dumbledore was present in the part she was reading. Again.

James didn't know how Katy's presence at the Sanctuary affected his and Helen's relationship. He wasn't sure if he would be able to hold her again on winter nights before falling asleep. He did know, though, that he would do everything in his power to fall asleep next to her again and that by the time she fell asleep in Old City again, she would know he loved her with an undying love that he has had for her since their eyes first met more than a hundred years ago at Oxford.

Chapter 4

Helen was grateful she had prepared and knew all she wanted to say by heart. She couldn't get the image of Katy lying on James's floor in front of the fire place out of her mind. It didn't look as though they were doing anything inappropriate, but the way Katy's eyes roamed over James's body made her think of running out of the conference in tears. Helen was used to keeping her composure, especially when it concerned James. He had been with many other women while knowing Helen. She couldn't understand why this time was any different? _Maybe my feelings for him have deepened. And he hasn't been with anyone since we started sharing winter nights together._

James sat and listened to Helen's speech. She was distant, her mind somewhere else. He was the only one who noticed it, of course, because nobody knew Helen as well as he did.

Chapter 5

They were walking down the cobblestoned street, with the streetlamps reflecting off the puddles from the rain. Rain – even just the smell of it - always brought Helen's emotions out. Her thoughts drifted back to Ashley, as they always did. Helen remembered the dark place in her mind that she escaped to after Ashley's death. She hasn't gone to that dark corner since James came back into her life.

He walked alongside Helen, regularly glancing into her direction. He knew by the look in her eyes that she was thinking about Ashley. He didn't want to interrupt this moment to tell her how he really felt, yet he thought he wouldn't get any better timing than this.

"James?"

He was surprised to hear Helen break the silence he thought she needed. He didn't quite know how to respond, fearing he might distract her from what she needed to say. He stopped walking and turned to face Helen, reaching to take her hand.

She was in one of those uncomfortable situations that she found rarely herself in. She wanted to ask James desperately who Katy was and what his relationship with her was, but she was afraid of hearing his answer. While she usually found herself deciding to not ask, this time she figured she would take one giant leap of faith.

She had gathered the nerve to ask him when her eyes met his soft gaze and she felt the warmth of his hands.

"Who is Katy? Are your feelings towards her-"

She was interrupted by James's uncontrollable laughter.

"Helen, Katy is an old family friend. A friend and nothing more, I can assure you. She came over to the Sanctuary to simply inform me about her engagement," James said breathlessly.

Helen felt rather embarrassed by her assumption, looking down. Letting a smile reach her eyes she looked up at James again.

"James, I thought tha-"

"Helen, I love you. Only you. I have loved you for a very long time."

James saw Helen's expression change, surprised at first, followed by her eyes welling up with tears.

Helen looked at him. She couldn't believe James, her James, loved her.

"James. I love you. You should know, I didn't come to your room to remind you of your flight. I was on my way to make you more than my lover in only the winter. I saw Katy there and I had to make up a reason for being in your room so late at night to sound less…. erotic."

Helen realized how forward she was. She mentally reminded herself that she needed to keep herself in check; she couldn't misbehave in front of James. Not yet.

The moment Helen confessed her love for him, James knew that he would do everything in his power to have Helen look at him the way she was right now for the rest of his life.

He took a step forward, slid his hand around Helen's waist and pulled her into him.

The kiss was different to all the rushed ones they had shared. It was gentle, warm, and he felt something in this kiss that sparked memory to all the previous kisses they had shared. James focused on what it was that made this kiss so different but somewhat similar. OF COURSE! James wanted to laugh at how blind he had been.

Love.

Helen and James had always shared love in their kisses. Always.

Helen broke the kiss, regretting it almost immediately, but then smiled to herself. She knew they would continue where they left off later in the hotel room.

"Helen, would you do me the favour of attending Hannah and Katy's wedding with me?"

Helen wasn't sure if she had heard correctly.

"Hannah? Katy is getting married to a Hannah?"

"Of course, I was surprised you didn't pick it up. You are usually so good at picking that up."

Helen giggled at how ridiculous this entire situation was. She kissed him gently on the cheek. He took hold of her hand, she rested her head on his shoulder, and they walked back to their hotel.

She knew that - at that exact moment - no woman could be more content than she was now.

He knew that - at that exact moment - no man could be more content than he was now.

Now. Here. Walking on the wet cobblestones.

*End*


End file.
